From Child Star To Country Voice: Jet Jergensmeyer On Prove Me Wrong

Transcript

Welcome Back, Jet Jergensmeyer

SPEAKER_03 0:00

And we are live. Hello, everybody, and welcome to another edition of Skip Happens. This is Skip Happens. I know my name is Skip Clark, and you know, um, I'm gonna start to call this guy family because uh it's a third time, it's the third time Jet Jergens Myers is with us. Um, you know, we're at that point where we stop calling you a guest and just start calling you family. That's that's what it's about. Yeah, it's yeah. Wow, it's so good to see you, my friend. How are you?

SPEAKER_01 0:30

I'm good, I'm good. Uh thank you for having me back. Yeah, third time's the charm.

SPEAKER_03 0:35

Absolutely. And uh I know Charla, Charla McCoy. I mean, she was like, hey, you're gonna have Jet on tonight. That's great. I work with him and this and that. And Charla. Yeah, for those that don't know, she's uh she's a big name in Nashville. So that's pretty cool. Legendary and the best people ever. Yep. And there to help you. Yes. Not that you need it, because just the I'll take all the help I can get.

SPEAKER_01 0:56

Honestly, I really will.

Acting Roots And Early TV Roles

SPEAKER_03 0:58

So, Jet, I mean, uh, let me just kind of I'm gonna go through some of my notes here. You've been acting, uh, you began acting as a child. You had guest roles on such notable uh TV shows, uh CSI. Uh let's see, Gray's Anatomy, which I don't know. What did you do on Gray's Anatomy? I did one episode when I think I was five. It doesn't matter. It's Gray's Anatomy, dude.

SPEAKER_01 1:22

Yeah, that that is very true. I've got a lot of text messages of pictures of me and people going, is this you?

SPEAKER_03 1:28

I'm like, You're like five. So that was that was a little bit ago, but that was a while back. Yeah, and blackish, you've been on blackish and will and grace. Those are all big shows. And then uh what I'm reading is you played Spanky um in the little rascals save this day. That was like 2014.

SPEAKER_01 1:46

Yes, sir.

Voiceover Breakthroughs In Kids’ TV

SPEAKER_03 1:46

Oh my god, that's pretty cool. That was a good time. Yeah, and uh let's see here. Uh Bobby Anderson uh in the Disney uh channel film adventures and babysitting. Yes, sir. Oh my goodness. Uh and then you had a rec, I know I'm just gonna go through these. So had a recurring uh live action role as Boyd Baxter. That was on the sit uh sitcom Last Man Standing. That wasn't all that long ago. It was like 2018, 2020.

SPEAKER_01 2:11

Not too long ago, yes, sir.

SPEAKER_03 2:13

Yeah, and then you've been in uh movies like American Sniper. Wait a minute. We talked about that, I think, in one of our prior So what what did you play in American Sniper?

SPEAKER_01 2:22

Super small role. I think it was actually the smallest role I've ever done. It was I was the kid that got attacked by the dog during the birthday party and like caught Chris Kyle's uh character, you know, like freaked out a little bit. That that was me. And I actually did get bit by that dog honest for reels while filming. No way. Yes. I don't well, that's I don't think anybody really knows that because I think technically they could have got in trouble. So sorry. Yeah, I imagine the statute limitation is up on it. I was young.

SPEAKER_03 2:53

Yeah, I would say that's a little bit ago. Well, but uh yeah, okay. And devil's not you're in that as well. Now, you not only the acting, but um this is something I do a lot, is a lot of voice acting, voice over. Uh like uh was it young guapo? Is that how you say that?

SPEAKER_01 3:10

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_03 3:10

Uh in uh 2017, you voiced the young version of the character in the animated feature. Uh, and a big one that I I know Pip the Penguin.

SPEAKER_01 3:19

Oh, for tots on Disney Jr.

SPEAKER_03 3:21

Yeah, oh my god, that was 2019 and 2021. Uh Nani, you did that. Uh Bubble Guppies, right? Isn't that uh the voice you're Nani and Bubble Guppies?

SPEAKER_01 3:32

Yes, sir.

Becoming A Country Artist

SPEAKER_03 3:32

That's crazy. Stinky Peterson, a voice in Hey Arnold, and the jungle movie. The jungle movie. That's cool. And uh let's see, you've also additional voice work includes roles in Shimmer and Shine, the stinky and dirty show, and uh the puppy dog pales. Well, what people uh need to know about you, not only have you been acting, not only have you done the voiceover, but you are uh an artist. You are a country artist. You dropped a brand new song last Friday. Prove me wrong. Tell us a little bit about the song.

SPEAKER_01 4:04

Yeah, so uh I wrote it with two of my closest friends, Erica Latza and Kylie Diffie. And uh it was actually mine and Erica's first time writing with Kylie. Really?

SPEAKER_03 4:14

Is Kylie any relation to Joe?

SPEAKER_01 4:17

Daughter.

SPEAKER_03 4:18

Okay, I kind of figured I wanted you to say that.

Writing Prove Me Wrong

SPEAKER_01 4:20

So uh, first time writing with Kylie, and we were all just kind of getting to know each other, and it was right around some rather difficult times that our country was going through. And um we I had the idea, uh, my parents actually were like, Man, you should write a song about this. Um it was right after Charlie Kirk had been killed, and he was on his prove me wrong tour around the country. And um I brought that idea to Erica and Kylie, and we were we'd all just it was really close to when that had happened, and so we were all just kind of talking about how we were feeling and how we were upset about it, and it was just kind of hard to get in the realm of writing and the right mindset. So we said, well, why don't we just write this song and see what happens, you know? Let's at the very least use it as a therapy session to get it off our chest. And I'm so proud of what we were able to create from that. And I I love this song, I love the message that it tells, and it it I don't want people to get mad on on either side when it comes to the song, it's just simply saying that everybody has the right to say what they'd like because is the best thing our country I think has ever had. And the second people stop talking, that's when bad things happen.

SPEAKER_03 5:39

That's when it does, yeah, exactly. Right. Were you when you were laying all this down, were you afraid of some of the political repercussions you might get? I mean, this world is, I mean, you know, I stay neutral, but still it's it's just like you said, when people stop talking, trouble starts, and then you as uh as an artist, uh were you afraid of maybe dividing your fans?

Free Speech, Faith, And Backlash

SPEAKER_01 6:02

Or I feel like I'd be silly to say no. Yeah. Um absolutely, you know, I it's not hard when you spend a little bit of time with me or listen to me a little bit. It's not hard to kind of figure out what I believe in.

SPEAKER_02 6:13

Sure.

SPEAKER_01 6:14

But at the same time, like I said, free speech is the best thing our country's ever come up with and and ever had. And I love everybody. I think everybody has the right to believe what they want to believe. That's why we're the land of the free. And uh yes, because of them. And so that's kind of that was the ultimate reason why, even though we all knew there could be some repercussion from certain people over the song, we didn't really care, and not in not in a uh a mean way, we just didn't because we felt like we were gonna say how we feel over it. And I feel like the way that we wrote the song, everybody can understand and relate to. And if you think if you don't like the song because of that, then I'm sorry. I know what to do.

SPEAKER_03 7:01

Yeah, no, exactly right. And stand your ground. You you you're doing that. I I totally get that. Is there a line in that song that hits you the hardest when you hear it back? It's all good.

SPEAKER_01 7:15

The first line of the chorus, nobody's living like Jesus said we should. Um the reason I say that is I don't want people to feel like I'm calling anyone out in specific, saying you're not living like Jesus. We're all sinners, including myself. And I would again be silly and stupid to say that I I live like Jesus said. No, I make mistakes every single day, just we all do, brother. Every one of us, I put my shoes on and my pants on the same way as you. Exactly. So we all we all do that. So, but that line, every time I hear it, it makes me remember that I need to be conscious of that and to live like he said we should.

The Lyric That Cuts Deep

SPEAKER_03 7:57

I love that. It's um if someone's hearing prove me wrong for the first time, and say, I'm gonna play it here in a minute, or at least at least a little bit of it until somebody yells at me for copyright or whatever it is. But I got the artist right here. Um I wrote it. You're good. There you go, we're good. And you'll probably get a little notice saying, Did you approve this? And just yes. Probably. Um, if someone's hearing prove me wrong for the first time tonight, what do you hope they feel by the end?

SPEAKER_01 8:24

Um I hope they feel like it's okay to believe whatever it is that they believe in. You know, this the same way that when I wrote and released my song Red, it's no matter what you believe, you have the right to believe that. And I would be a hypocrite to judge you for that. Because I don't want you to judge me for what I believe, so I'm not gonna judge you for what you believe. So I hope that people remember that.

SPEAKER_03 8:47

Yeah, I'm I'm gonna play just a little bit of a little bit of prove me wrong right now. This is Jet Trug Insmire, everybody. So give it a listen. Here we go.

First Listen: Prove Me Wrong

SPEAKER_00 8:56

When the kids stop playing out in the yard, and mammas didn't worry about 'em going too far. There ain't no wonder left in their eyes. Somebody prove me wrong, cause I don't wanna be right. Like that Why is letting bullets fly now the only way? Cause you couldn't find a good string of words to say All we do these days is hate and fight Somebody prove me wrong, cause I don't wanna be right. Nobody's living like Jesus, dead we should say he doesn't care, cause D would change it if he could Sometimes it seems the world is really gone in hell this time. So somebody prove me wrong, I don't wanna be right. Somebody prove me wrong, I don't wanna be right.

SPEAKER_03 10:23

Wow, dude. That is uh, you know, I'm gonna post uh maybe more of that out, you know, under this video once it's uh all posted because I think everybody needs to hear that. And already um I'm getting comments about it. Uh Jason, who's a uh radio colleague in the Middle Midwest, I think he's in Oklahoma. Uh he said, I listened to it bright and early Friday morning, listened to it at least seven times. I cried like a baby and became a huge fan instantly. And I can see how that would do that. I'm just that is blowing me away. That is thank you, Jason.

SPEAKER_01 10:58

Thank you, thank you. Uh that that means a lot. That's really cool.

Audience Reactions And Impact

SPEAKER_03 11:01

Yeah, and Jacob Smalley says hello as well. And I don't know if you know Jacob. Yep, uh, he's an artist. Yeah, he's an artist, yeah. Exactly. So um, Jet, tell me a little bit about your songwriting process and has that changed since the last time you and I sat here chatting.

Songwriting Process And Growth

SPEAKER_01 11:18

It changes every now and again. I would say it's write specific. So uh it depends on who I'm writing with. Like for that, for that co-wright, typically, I never would have been the one to bring the hook or title in. Because whenever I write with Erica, she always has phenomenal hooks and titles just stacked on her phone. So I'll try to come up with a cool melody to fit that or something like that. A chord progression, something melodic. Uh, this was more so one of the the one out of ten times as opposed to the nine out of ten times, uh, where sh I she came up with the melody and I actually had the had that. Um so it depends on the co-write. There's other times where I kind of will tweak what I bring to the right depending on who I'm writing with.

SPEAKER_03 12:09

Are you um writing more from Lived Experience now or still imagining stories? That's a good one, huh?

SPEAKER_01 12:17

Yes, very, very good. Um you'll be able to hear in a few songs that I've recorded that are not released, the storytelling side of my songwriting. The imaginative uh trying to tell genuinely the best story. What I am have been releasing, like Red, nothing on you, prove me wrong.

SPEAKER_02 12:42

Right, right.

SPEAKER_01 12:42

These are all things that if you listen to those three songs, the only thing that they don't mention is hunting, and that's about the only thing that doesn't, and like I I I hunt. Everything else in those songs is just me. Everything else in those songs, if you listen to those three back to back to back, you'll be able to understand who Jed is right away.

SPEAKER_02 13:02

Gotta get a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 13:04

So, so that is a big part of what I write, and especially what I record as an artist, because I want my audience to be able to feel like they know me because I'm just me out there on stage.

Writing From Life Versus Story

SPEAKER_03 13:16

You know, what's something about Prove Me Wrong that fans won't notice unless you point it out? Oh my goodness. Um oh. Well, um I know I'm giving you hard ones tonight.

SPEAKER_01 13:29

This is in the bridge, uh, it's not it's not really the bridge. It's the end of the song, it's the tag of the song. It uh says, at some point it's gotta turn around. We'll remember we stand on equal ground. Um that was a little nod to Charlie and what he's been able to do with turning point USA. Um so at some point everyone realized that what he was saying, as far as if you believe that you can prove me wrong, come to the front of the line and come and prove me wrong. Um so when I start the song off with saying, Why is letting bullets fly now the only way? Because you couldn't find a good string of words to say, you know. If you can't beat beat an argument, that's that's that's you don't need to silence the other person just because you couldn't beat their argument. If you want to silence them, beat beat their stance.

SPEAKER_03 14:21

Exactly. And uh it's pretty awesome what you're doing. Now you've been uh in entertainment a long time. Uh you're going to school. By the way, where are you going to school? I go to Belmont University. That's I kind of figured.

SPEAKER_01 14:34

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_03 14:34

I kind of figured that. Uh, but you've been doing uh, you know, the entertainment side of things a long time. And who did you feel like you had to prove wrong early on?

Hidden Nods And The Song’s Tag

SPEAKER_01 14:44

I am very much so the black sheep of my family. I I'm an only child, um, but all of my cousins are like siblings to me. Um, all of my real, real close friends are like siblings. I I believe you choose your family. You're not just necessarily born into them. So a lot of my close friends I consider my family as well. Uh, and all of them s believed in me, and all of them supported me, but I don't think personally I could be wrong. Prove me wrong. Uh, but I I don't believe that everybody necessarily believed that I would I hate the term, but quote, make it. Um, so there was always that uh little chip on my shoulder of wanting to acknowledge the fact and wear the fact that I was uh the black sheep of the family like a badge of honor and and and make it and be able to look back and say all of those times playing for dive bars of four people that weren't even listening, they're watching the football game on the TV, it paid off.

unknown 15:45

Right.

SPEAKER_03 15:45

Yeah, you proved them wrong.

SPEAKER_01 15:47

Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_03 15:48

So to speak. But uh, you know, uh do you is there ever a moment where doubt creeps in and if it does, how do you shut it down as an artist? You've done so much and you're still really young. So I mean, how do you shut it down when you you feel the doubt kind kind of coming on?

School, Balance, And Calling

SPEAKER_01 16:06

That's actually probably one of the realest things ever, is the fact that I am still young, re uh really looking at it in hindsight, uh, the rest of my industry. Um, but I've been doing it for so long that to me, I feel like I should be way further along. But I know that God has a plan for everybody and everyone's journey is different. So I kind of just have to let it happen. Um, so the way I way I get over that is just by acknowledging the fact that everything happens for a reason, everybody's journey is different. I can't compare my life and my career to somebody else's because we're not the same. I'm Jet, they're them, and God has a plan for me, and I I'm not gonna be able to be like, hey, can you just lay it out for me and let me see what it's gonna be like in 20 years? I kind of just gotta let it let it happen and roll with the punches. I don't believe that he throws more at you than you can take.

SPEAKER_03 17:03

No, absolutely not. Um, you've been doing this a long time, but you're not that old that old. I mean, we say four or five is when you started with everything that you've been doing. How did you first get into uh what did you do first? Was it the acting or the VO?

SPEAKER_01 17:18

So it was technically music. Okay. My uh my parents owned a bar restaurant here in Nashville called the Nashville Palace. Okay. And I started the first time I ever got on stage there, I was three. And I sang. Um, and then we're really, really close with the Mandrell sisters and that whole family. Yeah, yeah. And um, their mother, the girl's mother, Mary Mandrell, said to my parents, you know, y'all should try acting with him. And so I was four the first time I ever did acting.

SPEAKER_03 17:44

Did you want to do that, or were your parents kind of saying, Hey, do this?

Ice Storm Survival In Nashville

SPEAKER_01 17:50

It wasn't necessarily I mean, I was four, so I mean, I kind of just would do anything. It wasn't necessarily them saying, Hey, do this. I found it fun. You know, I I got I very much so like I am now, never shut up as a kid and I just talked all the time. So it was a perfect fit. It's not a bad thing. Yeah, I was always talking. Uh I was meant to be behind a microphone. And so I it just it was kind of it was interesting. It was something new. I was homeschooled, so it kind of fit anyways, and uh it it just kind of happened.

SPEAKER_03 18:23

Exactly. Um, and now what tell me a little bit about the VO and uh John Williard, who made a comment my ears perked up when he said the beautiful name of Jesus, and absolutely, I totally get that. But John Williard, do you know who John is? I don't think we've ever met before, no. So you don't know who he is? I don't think so. He has been, well, he's no longer, but up until just a few years ago, he was the voice of the CMAs. He was No way. He is um, yeah, he's he's a star. I've had him on Skip Happens. Uh totally respect this guy. He's living my dream. He is um he like I say, you turn the TV on, you'll hear his voice. You turn the radio on, he does so many different um idiot.

SPEAKER_01 19:09

I'm gonna get flamed in the comments after this.

Auditions, Agents, And Next Steps

SPEAKER_03 19:11

No, you won't. No, you won't, believe me. But he was the guy that was like, you know, coming up next, it'll be blah, blah, blah, blah. And the CMA will be. And I know you've been to CRS, the country radio seminar, of course, for you know, you'll always see John there. And if you're going again this year, you got to look for him and make sure. I will be going.

SPEAKER_01 19:32

John, let's let's meet up.

SPEAKER_03 19:34

Absolutely. He's a guy that uh you need to get to know.

SPEAKER_01 19:37

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 19:38

Because he knows what he's doing. Amazing. I mean, you do too, obviously. But um, you know, how does um let's go back to the song a little bit? Uh, made some notes here. How does prove me wrong hit differently when you perform it live?

Roots In Tennessee And Missouri

A Bigger Year Ahead

SPEAKER_01 19:52

Oh, uh one thing that I love about being the writer on my music is when I'm putting the song that I spent hours and hours pouring my heart and soul into, watching people stop their conversation or stop whatever it is that they're doing and turn and face face the stage and listen to us play it. Yeah, you can you can hear like a room go quieter when you're playing a song. Um, one thing that's like known amongst musicians is if you're playing a bar or if you're playing a rowdier venue, you typically don't want to play that many slow songs because that's not what the it's not the vibe of the room for lack of better terms. Um But when we we played Prove Me Wrong the other night here in Nashville, the day it came out, uh in a for a Young Americas Foundation conference for 500 and some college students who were all dancing and having fun and two step in. And then we played Prove Me Wrong and all of them stopped and all of them listened. And as someone that is in college and goes to college with a bunch of college students, we're not the most attentive people. And so that that meant a lot to me, and that made me kind of that was that was just really neat.

SPEAKER_03 21:09

What do you mean by that? I don't get that. No, I'm just kidding. Yeah, yeah. Been there, been there many years ago, but uh been there absolutely. How did now tell me a little bit of how you got to know uh Kylie Diffie, uh Josie?

SPEAKER_01 21:20

So uh Erica actually met her uh through her mom, happened through random happenstance, and then Erica didn't know how old Kylie was. She was like, I think she's somewhat around Jet's age, we'll set up a right. Uh and Kylie and I both were born and raised here in Nashville. We grew up around and in the music industry. Um and so she and I hit it off. She's kind of like my couple month older than me sister. So we we just have an awesome relationship and it turned into being amazing friends and co writers now.

SPEAKER_03 21:58

I love that. And uh when How often do you get together and write? Do you get with Kylie? Or how often are you actually getting out and about, maybe doing your thing?

What A Jet Show Feels Like

SPEAKER_01 22:07

So I'm writing multiple times every week. I had a write yesterday with Erica. Tomorrow is actually with Kylie and uh my friend Ray. So I'm I'm writing pretty much any time that I can. Um, and you'll typically end up hearing Erica or Kylie or my friend Ray or Corey, Corey Burton's name thrown in there.

SPEAKER_03 22:29

All right. Now I have to ask you the acting, the VO work, uh, the putting out the music, all this that's on you, Jet. All this, how do you find time for school? How do you because that's you know, that's not easy, dude. And you know, being where you are and what you're doing.

SPEAKER_01 22:50

Well, I'm I'm fortunate that I've always done school with work. I mean, I I grew up being working in an industry while balancing school. So it's not really that new for me. It the only difference is now the work is a little bit harder than just learning my ABCs. Um, but I I love it. I genuinely enjoy school. I like learning. Um, I like the tedious work. I think probably because I was homeschooled, I now find college interesting because it's so different. Yeah. Um, so it's just kind of a different journey, if that makes sense. Um, so I I I'm not gonna complain about it too much. I I enjoy it.

SPEAKER_03 23:29

So you're living on your own now. I I have two roommates, but I but still, I mean, you're not you're not with mom and dad. You're out of the house doing your own thing. Your parents are they're in Nashville too, right?

SPEAKER_01 23:40

They're uh not even 15 minutes away from it.

Milestones Still To Conquer

SPEAKER_03 23:43

Well, close enough if you need them. Exactly. And it doesn't matter how old you get, there's gonna be a time that you're gonna need mom or dad or both.

SPEAKER_01 23:50

Hey, they needed me when they lost power with an ice storm. They came over here to warm up and charge their electric generator. So every now and again they can use me too.

SPEAKER_03 24:00

So how did um let's talk about that for a minute? You know, that was big news. Uh Nashville getting hit with that ice storm, and uh so many of my friends out there uh were texting me going, dude, you know, we haven't had power for a week. We don't have, you know, a good thing we have a gas stove because we can heat our water. Um but uh how did all that work for you? You're in an apartment complex.

Radio Tours And Early Mornings

SPEAKER_01 24:22

I am it it was interesting, it wasn't pretty. Lost power for about 30 hours, and then the following 30 hours lost water. So it wasn't it wasn't great, but it was okay. Uh when we lost power, my roommate and I were like, well, man, we don't have anything to do. So we uh we ended up walking, I think a little over seven and a half miles on that Sunday, just walking around town to see who had power, what places were open. To be fair, we really wanted to watch the Patriots and Broncos game, and uh we really wanted to watch that football game and we didn't have power. So we walked for um a good bit until we found a bar that was finally open and we could watch most of the second half of the game. Uh but it wasn't too bad. You know, we played chess and I fell asleep via candlelight in my room.

SPEAKER_03 25:15

So you know, you don't realize how how much how you have it until you lose it. How much, you know, you we we have these different luxuries of life and things that we do, but when it's gone, it's like holy crap, now what are we gonna do? Oh yeah, but you find things to do, and maybe it's it's a good thing.

SPEAKER_01 25:33

Yes, yes, yeah, you gotta be careful too. Like, I I'm not the kind of like I have my phone with me, I'm not necessarily always on it. Right. Um but you had to be cautious about running your phone battery down and make sure that your portable chargers were charged from before the storm came. So there was a there was a little bit of preparing to do, but then we were actually driving back from our shows in Texas, got back Saturday night, and I got to my apartment and the following morning. Uh I got back late Saturday night, and then the following morning lost power. So it we got back and beat it just in the nick of time.

Sharing Stages With Hitmakers

SPEAKER_03 26:09

Well, I'm in the northeast. We got all the snow. We've got more snow than I've seen in God knows how many years. You guys got it up there. Yeah, yeah. But you know what? I'll take the snow.

SPEAKER_01 26:19

I would take snow over ice.

SPEAKER_03 26:21

I've been through, you know, we get them here in the northeast, and we've had ice storms and very similar to what you just went through, but it's been it's been a while, and I would never ever want to go through that again. The snow dump it on me, baby. I'll take that.

SPEAKER_01 26:34

I would take snow over ice any day of the week. Absolutely. My family's got a cattle ranch in Missouri, so there you go. I don't like working around ice.

SPEAKER_03 26:46

Are you um going back into acting at all?

SPEAKER_01 26:49

You got things in the works or what's so I do still I do still audition uh whenever things come through. I actually sent in a voiceover audition yesterday. Um but like I said earlier, God doesn't throw more things at you than he can handle. And I think throwing acting into the mix 100%, as well as music 100%, as well as being a student, would get a little complicated. So I still do the auditions. I will take any roles and that sort of thing, but things, you know, dials not switches, you gotta power things up and power things back in order to give other things more.

SPEAKER_03 27:22

So if you don't mind me asking, though, when you when you do an audition, is that going through an agent that you you have somebody and says, hey, you know what, you might be a good fit for this. Why don't you submit an audition?

SPEAKER_01 27:32

I uh I have an agent here in Nashville, Mark Block, and then my agent out in California, Osbrink, that I've been with since I was five.

SPEAKER_03 27:38

All right. Let me ask you this Nashville or LA. Well no. All right, you're on the fence. I totally get it. I totally get it.

SPEAKER_01 27:53

I well, it's not that I'm on the fence, it's that I don't want to make people mad that then they don't want me to come out there. No, no, no, no. Here's what I'll say. Here's what I'll say. Okay. I am a Tennessee native.

SPEAKER_03 28:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 28:07

I never I never see me changing my residency from Tennessee.

SPEAKER_02 28:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 28:13

That's not to say visiting or working elsewhere is not still fun.

SPEAKER_03 28:18

Right.

SPEAKER_01 28:19

But my roots will be between Tennessee and Missouri for my whole life.

SPEAKER_03 28:23

Absolutely. That's home, baby.

SPEAKER_01 28:24

That's that's my that's my political way of answering that question without making anybody too many.

SPEAKER_03 28:32

Oh my god, I love that. I love that answer. Um, you know, what how would you describe 2026 so far?

SPEAKER_01 28:39

A lot busier than 2025. Um I thought that the summer of 2025 was busy, but so far, what I'm hearing, the summer of this year is gonna be busier. And so that on top of school over this semester, I have to save up my class skips for being on the road with the band. So it's it's a lot of the same, but I think that it's going to be bigger and better, I hope. Um, because every you know, every year is like another opportunity to learn from what you did the previous and how to expand on it.

SPEAKER_03 29:14

If I was to go to a uh Jet Jergensmeier, that's a tough name, dude.

SPEAKER_01 29:19

It's a lot, I'm it's a lot. I just have to just gotta start going by Jet.

SPEAKER_03 29:24

I know. I know Jet. I love that. I love that by the way.

Where To Find The Music And Farewell

SPEAKER_01 29:27

Like Garth goes by Garth, and everybody knows you're gonna be.

SPEAKER_03 29:30

Hey, I got Jeff on tonight. Skip habits. Yeah, it's what it's about. Um now I totally lost my train of thought.

SPEAKER_01 29:36

If you went to a Jet Jergensmeyer show.

SPEAKER_03 29:38

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. So what what would I see? What would I could I expect? Is it rocking? What what's tell me about one of your shows? If I was to go.

SPEAKER_01 29:46

You will get to see four guys having a blast on stage. I just lowered my chair. Uh I'm fortunate that all the guys I get to perform with and that are in my band are some of my best friends. So we all get along really well and we have a ton of fun playing music. That's what's important. You know, if it's not fun, why would I waste time doing it? So we uh we have a lot of fun. It's definitely rocking. We I always like to say that we're gonna play songs you know, songs you don't know, you know, songs that are some of mine that maybe are unreleased or maybe you've just never heard. So we'll sprinkle in a little bit of everything in there. We might, you know, throw a little three doors down, maybe a little red hot chili peppers in there, something like that. So and then jump right back to Zach Top.

SPEAKER_03 30:30

That that's cool. What um is there um I'm trying to think here, how I can. One thing you still want to prove to to yourself, is there anything that uh you've been thinking about?

SPEAKER_01 30:42

I think it'll I think I'll I'll feel uh like I've accomplished what I see myself accomplishing when I get to perform at the Ryman for the first time.

SPEAKER_03 30:54

That can't believe you haven't had the at least that opportunity.

SPEAKER_01 30:59

It hasn't happened yet. It uh all in due time, I hope. So um, you know, my goal is to be able to step into the circle at the Opry. My goal is to play Bridgestone Arena, you know, all my the places that I grew up going to shows. But the Ryman Auditorium was the Opry. That's the first time. That's the Mother Church of Country Music. So that's that is where I can't wait to perform.

SPEAKER_03 31:25

Have you um, you know, at the country radio seminar, of course, uh we spent a lunchtime over at the at the Ryman. Have you been to one of those?

SPEAKER_01 31:33

I haven't. I've always been doing my interviews during that.

SPEAKER_03 31:38

Yeah, you know, I haven't got to yet. I was just I was gonna ask when you're sitting there watching everybody else do their thing, if what goes through your mind going, I need to be on that stage. And that's what I was kind of wondering.

SPEAKER_01 31:49

Well, every show I've been to that's there, every time I just find myself looking around at the legacy that is that building.

SPEAKER_03 31:55

How can you not think about that? It's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 31:58

I can't I just can't wait. And then you there's another like I we were talking about the CMA Awards. I've grown up going to the CMA awards my whole life. Um, so I'm counting down the days to when I get to not be accepting an award, because that's a rather ambitious, but rather be sitting on the floor though with the other artists just kind of hanging out that when I can be sitting there and not feel quite like an imposter, even though I'm sure that'll be there a little bit, but feel like I I I can be here and not be out of place. I I think that'll be really cool.

SPEAKER_03 32:31

I think it I think it's definitely gonna happen. Just give it give it time. All good things happen over time. You know that. Thank you. Yeah, as God looks down on you, it's like you know he's got you going in the right direction. So yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 32:42

Well, you see my sign, Jesus is the way.

SPEAKER_03 32:44

I see that, even though it's kind of backwards because of the camera, but that's what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_01 32:47

Yeah, it doesn't have camera.

SPEAKER_03 32:49

I gotta flip it around now because no, you know, you know, in your settings, and anybody else that does this, you can uh mirror your camera. You can hit it.

SPEAKER_01 32:58

I'm just saying to do that next time.

SPEAKER_03 33:00

See, if I wasn't see, everything behind me is is right. But in the beginning, when I first started doing this, I'm going, why is everything backwards? What do I need to do? Well, there's a little setting, you just go.

SPEAKER_01 33:12

I gotta work on it for next time now.

SPEAKER_03 33:14

There you go. Yeah, for the fourth time. Yes, that you come on, it's pretty cool. Uh, you know, Jet, it's pretty awesome. Prove me wrong is out there. Um, you know, we've gone over all the other stuff before, but uh your music is online, it lives online. Uh, I would imagine anybody that wants to find out more about you, where can they go?

SPEAKER_01 33:35

So everything from my social media, my music, my website is just my name, Jet Jergensmeyer.

SPEAKER_03 33:41

That's hard.

SPEAKER_01 33:41

And yeah. If you type in J-E-T and then a J for Jergensmeier, I'll come up. Oh, there you go. It's very it's not the most common name in the world, so I'm typically the only one that's there.

SPEAKER_03 33:53

You did that right. How about your radio tour? Um, how did that? I mean, you've been on a couple of those now, right?

SPEAKER_01 34:00

Yes, sir. I have.

SPEAKER_03 34:02

In the early mornings and uh going in on morning shows and singing at 7 a.m.

SPEAKER_01 34:08

or sometimes 6 30 in the morning. I'm already a morning person, but um not necessarily performing that early in the morning.

SPEAKER_03 34:18

You have your early morning voice.

SPEAKER_01 34:20

Yes, it's rather it it's a different part of yourself. You don't know it's there until it's there. Yeah. Uh but the those those are the the moments that I remember because I've grown up listening to country music my whole life.

SPEAKER_03 34:32

So now I get to perform on country music radio, and that's just that's just so have you had the uh opportunity to actually be on stage next to somebody where you kind of go, Oh my god, you feel very intimidated. Um, you know, there's god, I don't know if I was in your shoes, if I was standing next to Luke Bryan or or maybe even uh Trace Atkins or somebody that uh I'd be like, oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 34:54

Not necessarily um on stage per se. There have been a couple writers' rounds where I've played with some people like Gordy Sampson and stuff like phenomenal songwriters, where I I've I've played writers' rounds with them where I've been like, okay, she wrote a number one, he wrote a number one, he just played a number one. Hey guys, I'm Jet. Here's one that I released. Uh so there's a couple of those moments. Uh I played around with a guy named Grady Block, him and his brother Rocky, uh have written a ton of movies. I was gonna say songs.

SPEAKER_02 35:30

All right, all right.

SPEAKER_01 35:31

And uh I felt like the biggest idiot during soundcheck. Grady starts performing Ernest's song Why Dallas, who he did with Lucas Nelson. I love the song and know every word to the song. So I'm humming along with him while he's doing his sound check. We're just sound checking on stage, and I went, Man, that's such a good song. And he goes, Thanks, man. And I look at him, I was like, You didn't write that. He goes, Yes, I did. And I went, you're kidding. And he goes, No, me and Ern wrote that, and I was like, Wow, okay, yeah. I felt I felt real dumb after that one.

SPEAKER_03 36:11

Well, you know what? I mean, we've all had that happen. Yeah whether it's doing what you do or doing what I do. Grady was great though.

SPEAKER_01 36:17

Every time I've seen him since, he goes, What's up, Jed? He gives me a hug. He's super cool. See? I don't think I hope that he doesn't remember that moment. I hope he only remembers every moment after that.

SPEAKER_03 36:26

Yeah, excellent stuff. Excellent stuff. It's just, you know, everything you you've done, just amazing. It's amazing. Where do you see yourself in five years?

SPEAKER_01 36:37

I hope to be a little bit further down the road of the same journey I'm already on. I hope to be touring. I hope to be, if I'm not touring on my own, I hope to be opening for somebody and being on the road with my band. I uh I love those guys, they're awesome. My parents are on the road with us because I'm their only kid. So my dad does all the band driving. My mom does all the road manager stuff, and we just kind of have a good time.

SPEAKER_03 37:00

Yeah, I remember um I said hello to you. We were at the dinner with um, I think you were with your dad, and we went to the grassroots dinner. Yes. I went as a guest, and uh I'm trying to think. Um oh, I I'm having a brain fart. Who was the guest of honor that night? Remember, it was for the song that was coming out. Um he's a legend. He's he's a legend. Oh my god. I can't believe I I can't.

SPEAKER_01 37:28

I'm just I I feel terrible because there's so many people that sing on that song, Larry Gatlin, Vince.

SPEAKER_03 37:32

Yes, yes, they are all yes, yes. Um oh my god. Pat Boone. Pat Boone, there you go. Yes, Pat Boone. That was amazing. And God around, I mean, the the guy is just phenomenal.

SPEAKER_01 37:47

That though, I guess that is another time. Thank God I wasn't in the studio with all of those people at the same time recording my portion of that song. Yeah, uh, because if ironically enough, Vince Gill and I sing the same line of that song, just at different times of the song. I'm so glad that we were not in the studio at the same time because I don't want to have to follow Vince Gill singing, or I don't want to have to go before Vince Gill, so everyone's like, get this kid out of here so we can hear Vince sing. Either way, I it's it's a it's a lose-lose situation. Oh and I'm glad I didn't have to. But those though, that was a really, really maybe Vince is going out.

SPEAKER_03 38:29

I don't want to sing next to this kid, he's too good. Maybe he's saying that. Maybe Vince is saying that about you. Come on. Absolutely, yeah, definitely. Well, I think so. Thank you. Uh, you know, I mean, Vince, uh, he's been through it all.

SPEAKER_01 38:45

This is true. He's been he's been around for a bit.

SPEAKER_03 38:47

This is the next big thing right here. So thank you. That's cool. Uh, Jed, it's so good chatting with you. It's so good catching up with you. Um, just thank you for taking a few minutes out of your day. I know it's crazy with school and doing your artist thing. I mean, I like I say, I just don't get it. I don't know how you do it. Thank you. But uh, you know what? You have a passion, you have a dream, and you're going for it. Uh, thanks for coming on Skip Happens tonight. Thanks for telling us about the the new song, Prove Me Wrong, which is out now, it dropped on Friday. Yes, and uh it's out. Yeah, so they can go online, they can get it wherever they they can go to any DSP and probably download it, pay for it, download it, and it's it's theirs. Yes, sir. Everywhere you buy or listen to music, go check it out. It's very cool. Cheddar, I um you stay right there, but we need to say goodbye. Thank you for coming on tonight, having a little chat about the new song and getting caught up. It's so good to see you. Hope to see you in a few weeks at CRS. I'll make it a point to come over and say hello. And uh, you know, for coming on like all my guests. You're you're gonna get a skip happens mug.

SPEAKER_01 39:47

Why don't you just bring me the skip happens mug? Give it to you.

SPEAKER_03 39:49

Because it'll probably break on the plane.

SPEAKER_01 39:51

That's true. That is true.

SPEAKER_03 39:53

You know what I actually thought about because a lot of artists have been asking for them, and I'm like, you know, maybe I just ought to order a bunch of them, have them shipped right to the Omni, and then pick them up when I get there and just give them out. But you could do that. I don't know. I don't know. Anyways, no, I'll send it to you. You'll have it by then. You'll have it by then. Just got to promise me that you take a picture holding it and you send it to me. Of course. And I'll make sure it gets posted. So uh Jet, Jet Jergensmeier, thank you so much for joining us tonight on Skip Happens. My name is Skip Clark. This is Skip Happens.